• NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis is a key mechanism in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Aerobic exercise effectively inhibits NLRP3-related pathways, reducing pancreatic β-cell pyroptosis and improving insulin sensitivity.
• Resistance exercise, hypoxic exercise, Tai Chi, and Yijinjing also exhibit potential in regulating pyroptosis for diabetes management.
• Exercise offers a multi-targeted approach for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes mellitus by modulating pyroptosis.